Some time after making Solomon king, David realized he
didn’t have long to live. He ad watched
Solomon run the kingdom and knew he would make a good king, but he wanted to
advise him about some potential problems.
The first thing he warned him about was how easy it woud be to forget
about how god had placed him as king and forget to serve him, in I Kings
2:1-4. “Now the days of David drew nigh that he should die; and he charged
Solomon his son, saying, I go the way of all the earth: be thou strong
therefore, and show thyself a man; And keep the charge of the LORD thy God, to
walk in his ways, to keep his statutes, and his commandments, and his
judgments, and his testimonies, as it is written in the law of Moses, that thou
mayest prosper in all that thou doest, and whithersoever thou turnest thyself:
That the LORD may continue his word which he spake concerning me, saying, If
thy children take heed to their way, to walk before me in truth with all their
heart and with all their soul, there shall not fail thee (said he) a man on the
throne of Israel.”
He warned that if Solomon woud be faithful, God would
fuflfill his promise to David through Solomon’s family, but if not God would
not bless him or his family. He also
warned him not to trust Joab,even though he had served David fr all those
years, in I Kings 2:5-6. “Moreover thou knowest also what Joab the
son of Zeruiah did to me, and what he did to the two captains of the hosts of
Israel, unto Abner the son of Ner, and unto Amasa the son of Jether, whom he
slew, and shed the blood of war in peace, and put the blood of war upon his
girdle that was about his loins, and in his shoes that were on his feet. Do therefore according to thy wisdom, and let
not his hoar head go down to the grave in peace. “ Though Joab had served David, twice he
had murdered other men who were working with David. While he could use the excuse of Abner having
killed his brother Asahel, his murder of Amasa was inexcusable, and he had
shown no loyalty to Solomon or David in helping Adonijah. Old as he was, he still had a lot of
influence, and Solomon would be wise to deal with him before he caused
trouble.
He advised Solomon to treat those who had supported David
well because of the part they had played, in I Kings 2:7. “But
show kindness unto the sons of Barzillai the Gileadite, and let them be of
those that eat at thy table: for so they came to me when I fled because of
Absalom thy brother.”
On the other hand, Shimei was not to be trusted. When Absalom attempted to usurp the kingdom,
Shimei had personally attacked him verbally, but had quicly changed his tune
when David returned to the throne. He
might well switch sides again if he thought it would benefit him. Like Joab, he deserved death, and it would
be best to eliminate the threat before it became a problem, as he explains in I
Kings 2:8-9. “And, behold, thou hast with thee Shimei the son of Gera, a Benjamite
of Bahurim, which cursed me with a grievous curse in the day when I went to
Mahanaim: but he came down to meet me at Jordan, and I sware to him by the
LORD, saying, I will not put thee to death with the sword. Now therefore hold him not guiltless: for thou
art a wise man, and knowest what thou oughtest to do unto him; but his hoar
head bring thou down to the grave with blood.”
A short time later, David passed away, as I kings 2:10-11
tells us. “So David slept with his fathers, and was buried in the city of David. And the days that David reigned over Israel
were forty years: seven years reigned he in Hebron, and thirty and three years
reigned he in Jerusalem.” David had
reigned a total of forty years, although he had not become king over all Israel
until Ishbosheth was murdered.
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